After leaving the airport, we headed straight for Michael's Penthouse in LA. We were going to be spending the weekend there, then heading back to New York on Monday.

It was a gorgeous place decorated red, black and white. There were few paintings on the walls and a few antique knickknacks dotted around the place. It was an open space with a view of almost everything in the penthouse along with the gorgeous view of the city through the floor to ceiling windows. The kitchen with all the expensive, high end gadgets you could think of, the living room with its large sectional sofas, huge tv and fluffy rug. It was just screaming wealth. The biggest light in the penthouse looked more like a sculpture than a simple light shade. It was red and black swirls weaving in and out of each other and it looked as though it was floating in mid-air as it rotated slowly. Things only got better when I saw the room that I'd be staying in.

After I had settled in and unpacked for the weekend, I'd checked the time and it was already nearing 11pm. I sighed lounging across my bed as I battled internally with myself yet again for the night. I was finding that I didn't want to be away from Michael for even as little as a few hours, but I didn't want to seem clingy or annoying. Even so, he always seemed so happy to be around me. Admittedly, my curiosity had also been running wild. After we had arrived, Michael had expressed that he wanted to discuss something with me, but he never brought it back up.

Even with my scepticism, I ended up grabbing a robe and heading out of my room and across the hall to Michael's, all the while, kicking myself for my annoying urge.

I stopped at the large doors opposite my room as I tied my robe before knocking gently.

"Come in." He called out softly.

I pushed open the door to my right then looked around the red and black room. There was a fireplace opposite a black couch with red cushions that he was sat on. His four poster king sized bed at the back of the room looked as though it was surely made for a king indeed. Black covers, red sheets and an assortment of red and black pillows.

"Come right in, Scar." He smiled.

I looked over at him as he removed his reading glasses from his angelic face.

How ironic, right?

He was now wearing a fluffy black robe and black pyjama bottoms and his hair was pulled back into a loose pony tail. I walked over to the couch as he patted the seat beside him for me to sit which I did.

"Is there something the matter?"

I shook my head at his question and looked down at my fingers in my lap as I fidgeted awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

I felt my heart rate pick up a little in my chest as he rubbed my knee lovingly before pulling away to open the book in his hands again.

"Tell me, Scar." He began with a chuckle. "Did we ever finish Peter Pan?"

I smiled widely now getting a good look at the book in his hand.

"Yes. Dozens of times but we'd always start over. Remember?"

"How about a chapter? For old time's sake."

I bounced with excitement just like I used to when we would read together as kids.

"I'll read." He volunteered.

I laid across the couch with my head in his lap and smiled up at the adorable surprised expression on his face. With a smile, he picked up his reading glasses once again then flipped to chapter 1 and ran his skilled fingers through my hair as he began to read of the awfully big adventure that we never seemed to tire of...

********

"She started up with a cry, and saw the boy, and somehow she knew at once that he was Peter Pan. If you or I or Wendy had been there we should have seen that he was very like Mrs. Darling's kiss. He was a lovely boy, clad in skeleton leaves and the juices that ooze out of trees but the most entrancing thing about him was that he had all his first teeth. When he saw she was a grown-up, he gnashed the little pearls at her."- J. M. Barrie

As Michael ended the chapter, he looked down at me and I stared back up at him with a faint smile touching my lips.

"Thank you, Michael." I whispered into the quiet.

"It's no problem. I had it in my suitcase so I thought, why not and-"

"No, no. Of course, thank you for reading to me..." I smiled, sitting up and facing him. "but I'm thanking you for keeping your promise. You're here and I couldn't be happier..." I said feeling tears sting at my eyes.

I took his larger hand and slipped my pinkie around his, smiling at the memory, though painful to recall...

"You...you remember that?" He asked a little shocked looking between our hands and my face.

I wiped at the tear that rolled down my cheek and replied softly.

"You came back for me..."

********

7 years earlier...

Scarlet screamed when she awoke in an unfamiliar setting. She was so afraid. Michael promised that he would never hurt her no matter what...

She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest as she looked around at the empty, box-like room she was in. It was like a metal box that made her feel almost claustrophobic.

She jumped when she heard the creek of the steel door opening and whimpered when she saw who had entered, closing the door behind themselves.

Michael...

Afraid, Scarlet jumped up and pressed herself up against the back wall wishing it would swallow her up whole.

"S-Scarlet..." He whispered, hurt seeping into his gentle voice. "I-I-I'm so, so sorry."

She watched his movement carefully as he took another step forward.

"Please don't come any closer." She begged tearing up. "Please. I-I just want Michael! I don't know who you are anymore!" She cried.

"Scar, I'm right here." He assured her. "I promise! It's me! That thing you saw upstairs is gone. I promise. I may be awakened but I'm still me."

The crack in Michael's heart split open more as Scarlet turned her face away in fear. He felt as if all his worst nightmares were coming true. The very worst of them all was losing his Scarlet...

"Alright. Just listen okay?" He pleaded. "I just wanted to see you one last time before he..." Michael trailed off.

"Before he what? Before who does what?" She inquired turning her gaze slowly back onto Michael.

He sighed then dragged a shaking hand through his curls.

"Do you remember a few years ago...when I told you about what I am and I told you my father could never know that I told you?"

"Yes."

"Well. Now that you've seen my awakening...he...he..." Michael sighed again. "He's going to erase your memory." He revealed sadly.

He looked up to see Scarlet's tears well up and over down her tanned cheeks and he ran to her and held her in his embrace. She didn't struggle. She just buried her face into his chest now understanding that she may never see her best friend ever again.

"Listen to me. I promise you that one day, when I take over, I will come and find you and I will recover your memories. I don't know how yet but I will. I will come back for you." He wiped her tears away then kissed her cheek.

"Don't say that unless you really mean it." She sobbed and pouted almost as a child would as she held up her pinkie finger.

He sniffed, but smiled all the same at her innocent child-like gesture, then lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly before curling his pinkie around hers.

"I promise." He said squeezing her tighter. "I'm gonna miss you so much..."

"I'll miss you too. Don't forget about me, Michael..."

"Never."

The door opened once again and the two looked behind them to see Joseph standing there wielding a dim expression, much dimmer than they were used to.

"Alright Michael. You've said your goodbyes, now go to your room." His father demanded calm but firm.

"Yes, sir." Michael replied hanging his head low.

Michael squeezed Scarlet tight once more before leaving the room with a heavy heart. After he left, two goons entered the cell with Scarlets parents over their shoulders knocked out unconscious. Scarlet gasped and ran to them when the two men placed them on the floor side by side.

"Mamá! Papá!" She screamed but they didn't stir. She looked up at Joseph with hatred in her eyes. "What did you do?!" She yelled.

"Calm down, little girl. Your parents are fine. They're just unconscious." Joseph said in his gruff tone.

Scarlet looked down at her parents and when she looked back up, Joseph had placed his hand on her forehead.

"It'll all be over soon." He said sounding almost remorseful as he cast his spell.

Before she could protest, her sight blurred and she felt dizzy and soon enough, everything went pitch black...

Present...

I sobbed, curling up against Michael's chest as he held me close and kissed my forehead, his lips lingering on the spot.

"Shh..." He comforted stroking my hair. "We're past that now."

I pulled away wiping my eyes of the moisture.

"It's not that. I'm just--just so happy that you came back. You're my best friend and I..." I confessed. "I'm sorry. I'm a mess." I giggled.

"You're a cute mess." He chuckled tucking some of my hair behind my ear. "and I'm happy too. I promise you, we will never be apart like that ever again..."

In that moment, with his hand resting at my nape, our eyes locked and it seemed I'd forgotten how to breath. My eyes did slowly wonder down to his perfect, tempting lips and I wanted desperately to taste but--

"Um..." Michael bit his bottom lip and looked to the side taking his hand away from my nape to scratch his own.

I nearly whimpered at the loss of contact but managed to keep the embarrassing noises to myself this time.

"Uh...yeah, so...You said earlier that you wanted to discuss something. I'm all ears." I smiled faintly, shrugging my shoulders.

"Oh right! Um...it's not that important right now." He smiled back unconvincingly. "We'll talk about it tomorrow. You should get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow."

By this point I was sure. Michael was hiding something from me. It hurt my heart a little, but I was going to give him the space and time to tell me what he needed to. I trusted him...

"Oh. Well alright then. Goodnight, applehead." I got up smiling down at my old friend fondly before deciding to lean down and place a soft, lingering kiss on his cheek.

Just as I was pulling away, he turned his head and my cheeks flushed brightly when his lips brushed mine ever so slightly.

"Goodnight Scar..."

As I stood straight, I lifted a hand to my lips and brushed my fingers over where our lips had made subtle contact. I tried my best not to look so dazed as I nodded quickly, then turned to leave promptly. It only sent my heart into even more of a fluttering frenzy when I heard him chuckle behind me.

That wasn't just electricity. That was a fucking thunderstorm...

I walked out of the room and back into my own. It was getting quite late and I knew we'd have to be up early in the morning. After what just happened, I wondered if I would get any sleep anyway. I had a lot to think about and all these odd feelings were making me question where we stand now. I had no intention of ruining a relationship I'd only just gotten back.

I went to my bed pulling the lace curtains closed around me. It made me feel oddly quite safe and calm to be shielded by the thin piece of fabric. I tucked myself into the bed and sighed ready to sleep comfortably and peacefully for the first night in weeks. No nightmares or tossing and turning in my sleep. The mark Michael gave me must have been doing its job because I felt safe enough to sleep through the entire night without so much as a peep.

Hello, my loves!

I know I've been gone a long time. I'm super confused as the last 2 chapters on here were not supposed to be published yet and I've only just seen that they are for some reason, but I am not publishing the edited versions. I'm very sorry for any inconvenience. Much love!

Loooooooovvvveeeee,

Lisha x