A week passes while I'm 'under observation'. I argue with Rhys day after day about Elijah but he doesn't budge from his decision. He says that Elijah touched me and he's not getting away from it. I don't see what the big deal is. I'm fine. My ribs are healing and they don't even hurt any more. Only occasionally, when I run too fast or bang them against something.

"Good morning, Miss Morrison." Dr Hoffman walks in, smiling brightly and carrying his clipboard.

I sigh, "Do I --"

"I already know what your question is going to be, Donna Morrison. You ask it every morning. 'Can I go home today? ' " Dr Hoffman teases, smiling as he checks the reading on the equipment, "And the answer is... yes, you can."

He whirls around to see my recaction. I grin and punch the air, "Yes! Thank you so much, Doctor! I'm going to call --" I reach for my phone, looking at the door casually. I stop. Standing there is the person I was just going to call, looking stunning in a casual top and jeans.

"Who are you going to call?" He asks, raising a way-too-cocky eyebrow.

I hold my head high and bluff, "Mom."

He grins, walking over to me. He grazes his lips against my forehead and whispers, "You're such a bad liar."

I smile ruefully, "Almost as bad as you."

Rhys winks and turns to Dr Hofffman, "How's she doing?"

"She's doing fantastic." He smiles again, baring his gleaming teeth at Rhys, "She's ready to go home."

"Great!" Rhys beams, looking elated. He's been waiting for this news since our first argument. He grins down at me, "No wonder you're in such a good mood."

I haul myself in a sitting position, "Well, I would be, wouldn't I?"

"Yes, you're finally being rid of the pesky old geezer who doctored you." Dr Hoffman cuts in. He's really outspoken for a doctor.

"Yes, I feel sooo happy about that," I say in a monotone so he knows I'm just teasing. "I don't know how I would live under your supervision for another day."

Dr Hoffman chortles and leaves, shaking his head. There's only so much sarcasm a doctor can take.

I turn back to Rhys, "Promise me you won't do anything about Elijah."

Rhys' face hardens and his jaw clenches and unclenches as he replies, "I can't do that."

"Why not, Rhys?" I ask indignantly, "Why can't you be happy with the fact that I'm better and let it go?"

"Because he hurt you." Rhys hisses, "He tried to take you away from me and I will not let him think that he got away with it blame-free. He will pay."

"Rhys, you're acting as if he did serious damage." I soften, "Look at me, I'm absolutely fine. I'm even going home today. Why can't you leave it alone?"

Rhys slams his fist against the wall, making me jump, "He made you crash, dammit! Who does he think he is? You're wrong if you think you can persuade me on this, Donna! You can't do anything!"

"Rhys!" I say, "Stop it! How many times do we have to have this conversation for you to get it? I'm the one who got hurt, not you! If I don't want to go after him, why do you?" I glower at him, anger pouring and rushing through my veins like boiling lava.

"Because, Donna, you're mine and no one does or says anything to you that can harm you! Not while I'm around!"

"I don't need you to protect feeble old human me, I can protect myself, thank you, Rhys!" I narrow my eyes at Rhys.

"No you can't!" Rhys objects, "You can't protect yourself because you went and got yourself broken in a crash!!!"

"That wasn't my fault!" I point out, raged.

Rhys growls at me, "Exactly. And I'm going to set things right!"

"No you're not!" I scream as my pulse machine begins to beep, telling me that my heartbeat is beginning to accelerate into weird levels, "You're going to make them worse! Just leave it alone." Annoyed at the machine, I pull the sensor from my finger, silencing it immediately.

"No! I can't leave it alone." Rhys roars, his eyes ablaze with fury, "Do you know why? Because no one can lay a finger on you as long as I live!"

"Rhys why don't you get it into your big head?" I get up shakily and push a trolley from my path, "Nothing you do will help. It will just make that rogue angel even angrier and he will have more reason to come back!"

"Why are you acting like this?" Rhys grabs my forearms, "Why are you trying to stop me? Why do you want to protect that idiot?"

"I don't!" I shriek defensively, "I don't want you to hurt yourself over your ego!"

"Is that what this is? My ego?!" Rhys pushes me back, "I thought it was about me protecting you! I thought this was about me not letting him get away with hurting you! Well, excuse me if I didn't know that was my ego!"

Rhys storms out, slamming the door shut after him. Snivelling like the stupid twit I am, I sink down to the bed and curl up, nursing my aching ribs.

"Easy over the steps." Mom guides up the back porch steps back home.

"Donna!" A flash of auburn hair and then a giant bear hug, crushing my ribs.

"Watch her ribs!" Mom warns and then softens as I hug my best friend just as tight.

"I missed you!" She squeals as we venture into the house to where Dad is waiting.

"I missed you too!" I say and give her a hand a squeeze.

"Baby!" Dad wraps his arms around me cautiously and kisses the top of my head, "I was wondering where you'd got to. How are you?"

"I'm better,Dad. Is the car okay?" I ask, looking up at Dad sheepishly.

"Yes." Dad rolls his eyes, "Your car is fine. Ready to eat another brick wall."

"Rob!" Mom cries, shocked.

I just laugh and shake my head, "It seems Mom is more traumatised than me."

"Damn right I am." Mom takes a seat gingerly, "You scared the life out of me, I'm telling you. Why don't you sit down? Maybe have some herbal tea?"

"I'm going to go take a shower first." I say and then bend down to give Mom a quick peck.

"You do that." Mom pats my cheek and then gestures to Avril, "You stay right here, missy. I know you and your distractions!" Avril grins and settles down beside Mom. I grin back and then begin the tedious journey up the stairs, clutching my throbbing ribs. They're still a little sensitive from the crash. I stumble up each of the steps, stopping every four steps to get my breath back.

I haven't heard from Rhys since the argument this morning. I want to see him; I want to apologise. I don't want him to be angry with me any more. I want him to hold me against him like he always does, making me feel safe and small, like nothing can penetrate our bubble, like no harm can come to me as long as I'm with him. I feel like crying again.

Determined not to do just that, I haul myself up and crawl up the last couple of steps breathlessly. Success pounds me like adrenaline as I reach for the handle and twist it, letting myself into my bedroom. I revel in it for a moment; the normalness, the clutter of my things. Everything is as I left it. Apart from one thing.

Sitting on my bed is a rogue angel.

"You --" I try to stumble back downstairs but he's already stopping me, trapping me against the door, his closeness sending shivers up my spine.

"Quiet." He orders, "Quiet or else I'll kill your boyfriend." I stay mute, a stray tear falling down my cheek. "No, no, no, no, don't cry, my little innocent, vulnerable, helpless human." Elijah wipes the tear as if he actually cares about me. I turn my head sharply, revolted by his touch. Elijah smiles, an evil twist of his mouth that looks more like a drimace than anything else. "I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to talk to you. Tell you something, angel to human."

I wait for him to continue, regarding him cautiously.

Elijah drops his arms back to his sides and brings me forward to the centre of the room, pacing around me in a circle like he's playing a game with me, a game of chase, "Has he told you about his last girlfriend, Eliza?"

I nod silently, gazing at the ground.

"Yes, well, I doubt he's told you the full story. After Eliza's death, he was broken. Totally shattered in a million shards. He didn't have a reason to live any more. So your boyfriend pleaded -- no, practically begged -- with the Master on several occasions to bring Eliza, his darling girlfriend back."

Where is he going with this? He hasn't said anything I don't already know.

"Our Master didn't like beating his subjects down time after time, especially Rhys. He was our Master's favourite subject. So Master compromised." Elijah met my eyes for a moment and then continued circling me, "He told your boyfriend that he would do something for him. He would keep Eliza's soul safe and in a century, he would give Eliza another human's body."

He was certainly right about one little thing; Rhys had never told me this.

"The human wouldn't be aware of it. She'd only find Rhys familiar, everything about him similar. If Rhys chose to tell her who she really was, he could. But from the expression on your face, I don't think he did."

"Huh?" I look up at him, feeling confused, muddled and betrayed all at once, "What do you mean?"

"Don't you get it?" Elijah says as if I'm totally stupid for not comprehending, "You are the reincarnation of Eliza. You are Eliza. That's the only reason our dear fallen angel Rhys is with you."

Then he is gone. There's no trace of him. It's almost as if he's never been here in the first place. I blink twice. What? Am I going crazy? I need to see Rhys more than ever. I need to sort things out with him and get him to confess about his betrayal. How could he lie? To me? To his girlfriend who he apparently loves so much? How could he do this to me? Why did he do this to me?