Lisa awakens to the smell of smoke. She opens her eyes and a cloud of gray surrounds her. Her first instinct is to look for her cat, Socks. Lisa gets out of bed and kneels down on the floor, grabbing Socks by the scruff.

                            She runs to the living room and sustains a nasty burn on her hand opening the door. Lisa enters the hallway of black smog, a dry cough rumbling in her chest as she pushes through the smoke.

                           In the reduced visibility, she sees two figures fighting their way through. It's a man with a mass of dark brown curls, tightly embracing Lisa's neighbor, Jessie. Both have ash across their faces, and they're struggling to catch their breath.

                           "Charlotte." Jessie breathes, gasping for air.

                           "I'll find her. Don't worry." The man promises. He pushes Lisa and Jessie towards the exit and opens the scorching door knob.

                           Lisa grabs Jessie and helps her down the stairs.

                          "Thank you," Jessie struggles to say, once outside.

                         EMTs immediately surround Jessie, taking her into an ambulance. In that moment, a little girl comes running out, crying for her mother and is picked up by another EMT.

                        The man, however, has yet to return. Lisa hears a cracking sound and part of the roof collapses. She finds an EMT standing by.

                        "Can you hold my cat?" She asks, handing her off. Before anyone can stop her, Lisa charges towards the fire, throwing open the door and stumbling her way up the engulfing staircase.

                         In the hallway, which now resembles hellfire, she squints against the dark, an intense heat in her lungs, and there she sees him leaning against a wall, coughing hard.

                        Lisa wraps both arms around him, and together, they walk out into the fresh air of the day, before collapsing in each other's arms.

                        The next time Lisa awakens, it's dark. She hears beeping and immediately winces at the burn on her hand.

                        Her mind flashes back to the last few moments of the fire at her apartment building. Jessie, Charlotte, and...that man. The man who was saving people. The man who almost lost his own life.

                        Then an awful thought occurs to her. Maybe he did. It's at that moment a nurse comes in and snaps her back to the present.

                       "Your cat is fine, Miss Stone. She's with your sister until you recover. You know, that was a crazy thing to do, running back into that fire as the roof was caving in. Both of you could've died."

                      Both. "Where is he?"

                      "Who?"

                     "The man I was with?"

                    "Your boyfriend? Husband?"

                   "No, my...well I don't know who he was." Lisa struggles to say.

                  "You know, it was the whole building. Alot of people went to hospitals all over New York."

                 "Was anybody killed?" She asks regretfully.

                 "Unfortunately, yes. But we won't know just how many for weeks."

 New Jersey-

                        Bruce Gray was just waking up to a doctor starting an IV.

                       "You're awake, Mr. Gray. You're a really lucky man right now."

                       The image that comes to Bruce's mind is the moment he nearly gave up. He'd gotten the girls out, that was enough for him. His strength was fading and the fire was spreading.

                      Then like a vision, she came from the smoke and ash, literally reaching into the fire and pulling him through. Bruce was here right now, because of her.

                     "What happened to the girl?"

                      "The little girl? Other than smoke inhalation and a minor burn on her leg, she was fine. She was reunited with her mother, too."

                      "That's good." He sighs. "What about the one who pulled me out?"

                      "Pulled you out?"

                     "I was saved by a girl with black hair, maybe her eyes were dark too, I couldn't really tell." He describes, the rational part of him knowing it isn't enough to go on.

                    "I'm sorry, Mr. Gray but you have to remember how many people realistically live in apartment buildings. Did you know her name? I might be able to tell you if she's here."

                   "No. I-didn't get her name." Bruce says regretfully to himself.

NY-Two weeks after

                     Lisa winces as the nurse wraps her hand. In the back of her mind, she can't help but wonder still about that man.

                    She  supposed she'd never find him. They were two strangers who shared a building, and saved each other when it counted. That would probably be all there was to it.

NJ-Three weeks after

                  The doctor flicks an air bubble from the syringe before inserting it into Bruce's arm.

                  "So all you know about her, is she has black hair, brown eyes-" Recaps his neighbor John.

                 "I think she has brown eyes. It was so dark I couldn't tell."

                 "Okay, so she has black hair, and maybe brown eyes. And the only other things you know is that she had a cat, and she saved you." John says, sounding skeptical.

                "I know how it sounds. But I gotta know if she made it, at least."

               "I'll ask around, but don't expect much."

               "That's all I'm asking, John."

NY-A month after

                "Why does it matter?" Lisa's sister Ann asks, helping her to change the dressing on her healing hand.

               "Because it does." Lisa snaps, tired of this same conversation.

                "Look, he pushed you out of the fire. I'll always be thankful to him for that. You went back and pulled him out. He'll always remember that. But that's all it is, Lisa. You were two people doing the right thing in the moment."

                "But I can't take the not knowing. I don't know if he lived." Lisa knew there was more to her inquiry than just peace of mind. She supposes there was just the smallest part of her that yearned to see his face again under better circumstances.

NJ-Two months after

                  Bruce was wheeled from the hospital to John's waiting car. He climbs into the passenger seat, taking a breath from walking on his injured foot.

                  "So your girl,"

                "You know something?" Bruce asks hopefully, temporarily forgetting his pain.

                John shakes his head. He asked everyone he managed to stay in contact with, and somehow, she'd gone unnoticed for the most part.

                Bruce sighs to himself, glancing out the window.

NY-Three months after-

                   There's a knock at the door and Lisa answers it. It's her friend, Margaret.

                   "I didn't come over before because I didn't think you could have visitors." She says with a grin.

                  "I have a burned hand and I breathed in some smoke. I'm not mortally wounded." Lisa jokes, letting her in.

                  "I bet you never thought you'd be called a hero." Margaret says, sitting at Ann's table.

                 "You think I'm a hero?" Lisa asks, amused.

                  "Not just me. Everyone." Margaret replies, reaching into her oversized handbag and pulling out a newspaper.

                  Lisa takes it from her and notices it's one from the three months ago. On the front, it says, Heroes rise from the ashes at Cherrywood Estates.

                   The picture is of their building in the midst of burning, and the crowd of firefighters who worked tirelessly to put it out.

                  "It continues on page 8."

                 "Does it now?" Lisa says with a chuckle, turning to the aforementioned page. The photo is of her helping Jessie walk.

                "Everyone says that you and Bruce were heroes."

                "Bruce?" Lisa asks hopefully.

               "Your neighbor. That lady you saved told the whole story to the paper. She says if not for you, neither she nor her daughter would've made it out."

               "She's really grateful then, huh?"

                "Of course. There's also a bit in there about how you went back for him. What made you do that?" Margaret asks, a bit in awe.

                 "I don't know. I knew he was in there, and someone should've gotten him out." Lisa answers honestly. Her eyes skim over the black newsprint where she finds the words,

                  In a stunning event, Lisa Stone, a resident of Cherrywood Estates, ran back into the blaze for her neighbor, Bruce Gray. The pair are credited with saving the life of another resident, Jessie Harper, and her daughter.

              "Bruce Gray." Lisa whispers,, getting up and grabbing her coat from the back of the couch.

              "What? Where're you going?"

              "I'm going home. You're driving." Lisa grabs her shoes and runs out the door before Margaret can protest.

NJ-Same time-

                    Bruce was staying at John's brother, Derek's house, as neither of the two had any home to go to now.

                    "What's with him?" Derek asks. He watches as Bruce pleads with someone on the phone.

                    "He's all hung up on some girl." John says. "She saved him from the fire and now we can't find her."

                   "Is she missing?"

                  "No, we don't know her name. All we know about her is that she lived in the building. Bruce said he went back for someone's daughter and got caught. Whoever this girl is, she pulled him out.

                 "That sounds like quite the girl." Derek says with a grin as Bruce returns.

                "Any luck?" John asks.

               "Someone told me to try the newspaper. They said three months ago there was something about both of us in there."

              "So why don't you?" John asks taking a bite of his sandwich.

              "Where am I gonna find a past newspaper? There isn't some collection of back issues somewhere." Bruce says sarcastically.

               "Why not try the office? Whoever wrote it works there, you'll find them, and they'll remember." Derek suggests.

               "That's actually not a bad idea." Bruce says to himself, taking a seat.

NY-Same day

           Margaret pulls into the lot of what was formerly the Cherrywood Estates. Lisa's heart drops at the sight of where the glorious beige apartments loomed against the trees. Now they were just fragments standing against a pile of ash.

            "Are you okay?"

            "I just can't believe it's gone. This was my home."

            "I'm sorry." Margaret says, hugging her friend.

              "Thank you for bringing me. Ann doesn't really know why it's important to me to find him."

               "Of course. But can I ask why is it?"

                Lisa sighs. "First, because I want to know if he's okay.. Second, and I know how crazy it sounds, but a part of me feels like, maybe we were, I don't know." She ends quickly.

                "You feel like there should be more to the story."

                "Yeah. I do."

                  The friends get out of the car and head to the building, where a lone figure stands in the distance. The building manager, Joe. He too has gauze around one arm, and the part that isn't wrapped is covered in superficial burns.

                 "Hey Joe." Lisa says, as she and Margaret step over chunks of debris on the ground.

                "Lisa! You're okay!" Joe exclaims, hugging her.

               "It's good to see you are too. I got a little burn on my hand but, I'm here."

              "I got one too. Tried to pull someone out. You know, you and Bruce saved Mrs. Harper's life. And Charlotte's."

             "It was really Bruce. He went back for both of them. Um, maybe you can help me."Lisa says, when Margaret mouths, 'Go for it.'

            "With what?"

            "Do you know what happened to Bruce? I just want to know if he's okay."

              "They told me they were taking him to a hospital just across in New Jersey." Lisa looks at Margaret. A clue.

NJ-Three months and a week after-

                 "Lisa Stone!" Bruce exclaims.

                "What?"

                "I did what you said. I went to the office and found the writer. The girl is Lisa Stone."

               "Well, go find her." Derek says, chuckling.

                "I don't know how. I don't know if she's in the hospital, or, where she went home to.." Bruce explains. He was glad to know her name, but he didn't know where it would lead now.

NY-Same time

            Lisa, Ann, and Margaret spent the day calling hospitals in New Jersey. They impersonated various people in Bruce's life. His mother, his sister, his concerned neighbor (which technically Lisa was) until they hit upon a hospital in Trenton.

             "Hello?"

            "Hi, I'm Lisa. I'm looking for my...brother, Bruce Gray. He was in a fire and someone told me he might be there?" Lisa repeated for the hundredth time.

           "Yes, we have a Bruce Gray in our system but he was discharged a month ago." Lisa is relieved to hear he survived and was able to go home, but it still leaves the question; where was he now?

             "I don't suppose you could tell me who picked him up?"

             "I'm sorry but I don't have that information, ma'am."

             "Thank you anyway." Lisa says before hanging up.

             "Well?" Ann asks.

             "He was there, but he was discharged a month ago."

NJ-Three months, two weeks after-

             Bruce couldn't find Lisa, but he and Derek did find Jessie Harper in Connecticut. When he arrived, she was on the porch waiting.

            "Bruce!" Jessie greets with a hug. "Charlotte and I are so thankful for you."

            "Don't mention it. Listen, could I ask a favor of you?" He asks, ready to lay it all on the line.

           "Of course. Name it." She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

             "Do you know Lisa Stone?"

            "Sure. She helped me out just like you."

           "This is gonna sound...odd. But I want to thank her for coming back for me, and I can't seem to find her. Do you by any chance know where I might be able to?"

           "Well, I know her parents live somewhere upstate...oh! And she has a sister who lives not too far from where we all did. What was her name?" Jessie asks thinking hard.

           "Ann! Her sister's name is Ann." Bruce isn't sure if this will help his cause, but it's a start.

           "Thank you, Miss Harper. And for what it's worth, I'm glad I was able to find you and Charlotte." He says with a smile, stepping off the porch.

NY-Same time-

              Lisa hit a dead end trying to find Bruce. There was no telling where he was now. She had all but given up until the day came when she and Ann passed the radio building on their way home from the grocery store.

               Why didn't she think of that before? People all over New York got their station. And somebody had to know Bruce. He lived here. They would probably be listening!

               "Pull over!"

                 "What?"

                "Pull over. I need to get out." Ann swerves off the road and parks at the curb.

               "Is everything okay?" She shouts as Lisa hits the ground running.

                 When she reaches the designated floor, Lisa steps out of the elevator to an office, and another room within it that says, On Air.

                She hits the buzzer and a man opens the door.

                "Can I help you?"

               "My name is Lisa Stone, I really need a favor." She says, her words coming out a jumbled string.

               "What's wrong?"

               "Can I make a dedication for someone, on the air?"

              "That's what sent you running in here like this?"

              "Yes! But I have a good reason. I was in a fire a few months ago. A man saved me, or maybe I saved him. I don't really know. But we got separated and you're my last hope to find him."

              The guy appears to take pity on her.

                "What do you want us to say?"

Also In New York-Same Day, One Hour Later

              Bruce is in the car with John. Ann Stone had a phone book entry as a CPA, and now they had the address of her office. Or as John said, they had the address of someone's office.

               As they're driving, the radio plays;

               "This next song is a dedication to Bruce Gray from Lisa Stone." Bruce and John look at each other and Bruce quickly sits up, turning the dial up.

                The song that plays is some old ballad about lost loves, but Bruce isn't paying attention anymore. "I gotta find a phone, did you catch the number?"

                "No, they didn't say." John says, admittedly not paying much attention to the road anymore.

                 "Do you think we could go to the place?"

                 "The radio station?"

                "Why not? This might be my last chance." Bruce pleads.

                Bruce and John exit the elevator and Bruce hits the office buzzer incessantly.

                "Can I help you?"

                "I'm Bruce Gray-"

                 "There was just a song for you on the radio."

                 "That's actually why I'm here. The girl who made that dedication. Is she still on the phone?"

                 "She was just here, but she left now." Bruce looks at John hopelessly. Lisa slipped through his fingers again.

                "We should go. We'll figure it out." John promises as the pair head for the open elevators.

                While walking back to the truck, Bruce leans against the window of the bookstore, defeated.

                 "She left John. She's not here anymore." He says disappointed.

                  "I came back." Says a female voice. Bruce turns around.

                  "I forgot to tell them where to send you."

                 "Lisa Stone." Bruce greets, grinning.

                The two strangers walk toward each other, unsure of what to do now. Looking to make conversation, Bruce looks at the store window where a poster reads, Love Is A Friendship That Has Caught Fire-Ann Landers

               "What do you think that means?" He asks, interested to hear her answer.

               "Are we friends?" Lisa asks, biting her lip.

               "I'd like to think so."

               "Have we caught on fire?"

               "Some would say we have." He says, sure he knows where this is going.

                "So you won't mind if I do this then, huh?" Lisa braces the sides of Bruce's face and kissing his lips in the middle of their New York street.

New York-One Year After

                  Bruce Gray and Lisa Stone walked into the church separately as one-time strangers, and walked out together to be known from here on out as the Gray-Stones.

New York-Nine Years After The Fire

                  "So how did you and Mom meet?" Asks Bruce and Lisa's daughter, Alexandra.

                 "Well, let me start by saying, Love is a friendship that has caught fire."