"I just don't understand, all the lies and deceit. I didn't compare her to you, I let go like you asked me too. I tried to love again, look what's happened...now I'm blind, they want me to be dependent on a dog and Chance, damn all he's been through...why..I can't understand why" he confided to her.

"So much is my fault, I didn't know, I misread the message" she replied.

"Message? What message?" he asked as she slipped into the shadows.

"Wait..come back..please..what message..please tell me" he begged, feeling the coldness of the abandoned warehouse surround him once more.

Tim moved around restlessly in the bed, as if he were running. Satch perked up noticing the change in him. Climbing onto the bed he lay close to Tim's back resting a paw on his side and his head near his neck. Satch laid motionless as Tim slowed his breathing to a deep sigh. Once convinced he was calm, Satch fell asleep still nuzzled against him.

****

Chance lay atop his bed, thinking over all Olena had told him. "Was it really possible that he could love me too" he wondered aloud thinking back to the times he took care of him, how he stayed when he could have ran off during the darkest time in his life.

"Don't get your hope's up, he's a very caring person. You've seen how he's been with the others, you're no one special" he told himself, rolling over to get comfortable to try to sleep, the memories flood his mind each time he closed his eyes.

Tossing and turning he finally got out of bed grabbing the blanket wrapping himself with it, walking out to the balcony. The moon shown over the horizon lighting the city below. Looking skyward he couldn't help but long for the day he may stand with the love of his life beside him.

"You will, don't give up, you will" he heard in the lightly blowing breeze.

He smiled at the all familiar voice.

"Where have you been, he needs your help" he whispered. "Remember the plan. Just know you're on the right path" he heard.

"I followed the plan as you told me but look what's happened. Why so much pain, both physically and mentally. He didn't deserve that, he'd been through so much already" he solemnly asked.

"As have you" they replied.

"This is not about me" he replied.

"Oh but it is, it's about both of you and what you have been searching for" they told him.

"This makes no sense. And, why didn't you tell me before while I was on the other side. I would never have pushed them together knowing he would be hurt this badly. I begged to stay but you both said I needed to go back, my work wasn't done. This was not work, this was torture. Unfair torture...to both of us" Chance all but screamed knowing he could call attention to himself from the nearby room.

"It was not known at the time..remember we told you not all was revealed.." they stated.

"So now you know yet he's suffered so much because of you" throwing blame at them.

"I never wanted any of this for him, only love. I misunderstood the meaning of the plan. Perhaps initially blinded by the fact he would move on as I had asked but I know now she was not the one" they told him sadly.

"You have to fix this, for him. He can't take much more" he demanded.

"Soon, it'll be over soon" they assured.

****
Tim smiled feeling the warmth cuddled up behind him, the breath against his neck. "Hmmmm" he muttered as he moved his hand towards his side only to feel the fur beneath it. Raising a brow he turned over only to find himself face to face with Satch, who licked his face in one large swoop of his tongue.

"Ugh...dude...you seriously need a tic tac" Tim remarked.