EDITED AS OF NOVEMBER 4, 2016.

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"Are you sure you don't want to come tonight, Rachael?" Stephen asked. 

It had been a month since Rachael's opening night of Mary Poppins. Stephen never failed to be amazed at how she could transform herself from the rambunctious young woman he knew into a magic genie, a personal assistant to a millionaire from the 1930s, or a nanny who was quite like a Time Lord. For Stephen tonight, he had a speaking engagement at a neurological society dinner. He was going to come home quite late. Unfortunately, the dinner was the same time as one of Rachael's shows, so she'd had to decline Stephen's invitation to be his date. 

"I have a show tonight," Rachael said. "I wish I could, but I can't."

"Your loss," Stephen shrugged. 

Both friends were running around their apartment trying to get ready for their respective engagements for the evening. Stephen was getting was wearing a very nice suit, but he couldn't find the bow tie. He was beginning to panic about it, too.

"Where's my bow tie?" his voice boomed throughout the apartment. "RACHAEL, HAVE YOU SEEN MY BOW TIE?!"

"Look in your hand, Stephen," Rachael said calmly, brushing her hair thoroughly. 

"It is not in my-" Stephen looked down and flushed red. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Rachael said. "Do you need help putting it on?"

"Yes," Stephen sighed. 

Rachael got up and put the bow tie on Stephen with little difficulty. "There. You look very dashing."

"Thank you," Stephen said, giving her a quick smile before going to the window and looking out of it as if he was contemplating his life.

"Are you happy with how our lives have turned out, Rachael?" he asked.

"I'd say so," Rachael said. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason. Just curious," Stephen said. 

"Do you mind driving me to the theater?" Rachael asked.

"No," Stephen shook his head. "Come on, or I'll be late."

Rachael and Stephen took the elevator down to the parking garage and got into Stephen's expensive sports car. He was very, very proud of it. He treated it as if it was his child. Rachael joked that Stephen would kick her out of the apartment and let the car have her room. 

Stephen let Rachael sing along to the Mary Poppins CD to warm up her vocal cords for the show to come later that night. She tried to get Stephen to sing too, but he wouldn't do it. His specialty was playing the piano while she sang. 

Rachael hated it when Stephen drove. He went way too fast for her liking. She often found herself gripping the lever at the top of the door. Stephen hated it when she did it, but she managed to shut him up by telling him that she'd stop doing it when he stopped driving so fast. Finally, Stephen pulled up outside the theater. 

"Do you have everything?" he asked.

"Yep," Rachael nodded.

"Are you sure that you don't want to come with me?" Stephen asked. "You've been working really hard lately."

"Why can't you take Christine with you?" Rachael asked. Christine was one of Stephen's co-workers. They had also had a thing going when Stephen had first started working at the hospital. She was the only one of Stephen's girlfriends who Rachael had ever liked. After their breakup, Rachael had been more on Christine's side. Throughout the whole thing, Christine had known that the extent of Rachael's relationship of Stephen was platonic, so she didn't blame Rachael at all. 

"She's on duty tonight," Stephen said. "I asked her, but I don't think she wants anything to do with me." 

"I really wish I could, Steve, but this is my life," Rachael gestured to the giant billboard advertising Mary Poppins. "Besides, I can't just give them a moment's notice. Also, I don't want to drive anymore with you." 

"Okay," Stephen sighed. "I'll see you later. Break a leg."

"Thank you," Rachael smiled. "Good luck with your speech. Have fun."

"I'll try," Stephen said.

Rachael gave her friend a kiss on the cheek before getting out of the car. Stephen made sure she got inside safely before driving away to the hospital for the gala. Inside, Rachael rushed to her dressing room. She got into costume and then sent for the makeup girl. They talked about their day together. After Rachael's makeup was done, it was time for hair. After all that, she got into her costume and looked into the mirror. She was no longer Rachael Barrow, but Mary Poppins. 

"Break a leg, Rachael!" the makeup girl called as she left. 

"Thank you!" Rachael said. She had a little time before she had to go out on stage, so she played on her phone a little bit. She saw that she had a SnapChat from Stephen. It of him in the car.

This is taking forever, was what the caption said. Rachael took a selfie in her dressing room and snapped it to him.

I take it the drive isn't supercalifragulisticexpialidocious? she captioned.

Nope. Billy keeps sending me people I should operate on UGH, Stephen said.

Well, you'll be there soon, you speed-demon... Rachael sent a picture of her mid-laugh.

Haha, very funny, Stephen had sent a picture of his unamused face. 

Well, just remember that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, Rachael sent yet another selfie. 

If you send me one more lyric I may need alcohol at the dinner even if I am driving home, Stephen had sent a picture of him face-palming.

Fine. Stop Snapchatting me and driving, Rachael sent a picture of her doing a thumbs down.

Stephen didn't reply. Rachael just shrugged, assuming that he was following her advice. She shut off her phone and locked it in the safe in her dressing room. After doing that, she rushed to the stage to go on for her first scene. Like all the other shows she'd done, it went magnificently. She put her heart and soul into her singing and acting. Her favorite song to do was Supercalifragulisticexpialidocious since the lyrics were easy to remember and sing. Rachael also loved the kids she acted with. They were very sweet and professional. The man who played Bert was also very sweet, but he wasn't her type. He'd asked her out but Rachael had told him that she wouldn't make a very good girlfriend right now because she was so focused on her career. He'd respected her answer and told her that he'd try again in a few years. 

When the show was finally over, Rachael went backstage and checked her phone. No texts or calls from Stephen. She shrugged. He was probably doing fine. 

Rachael changed out of her costume and yawned. She was exhausted. Doing these shows took a lot out of her and made her tired, but it was a good tired. She knew that she'd earned the right to be tired. She just hoped that she didn't get in a car crash because she'd fallen asleep behind the wheel. She gave herself a few minutes in her dressing room to rest, drink some water, and eat a snack before she got up and stretched before going outside to hail a cab to take her home. When she got back to the apartment, she tipped the driver before collecting her things and going inside. The doorman tipped his hat to her.

"Another good show, Rachael?" he asked.

"Yep," Rachael said. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," the doorman smiled.

Rachael smiled back at him before going up to her and Stephen's apartment. She tiredly curled up on the couch and turned on the television. Nothing good was on, so she shut if off and picked up her latest book. She was sucked into the fictional world and nothing else seemed to matter at the moment. 

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Stephen sent his Snapchat to Rachael. He knew that he shouldn't be doing this, but it was fine. He did it all the time. It was starting to rain, though, so he would stop after this. He heard his phone buzz and looked down at it again. He opened Rachael's Snapchat and barely had time to look at it as the events that would change his life forever unfolded right in front of him.

It was too late for Stephen to have anticipated. Horror washed over him and time seemed to go in slow motion as he felt the car get hit with a loud bang. His head his the steering wheel and he heard felt a painful crack: his nose had been broken. 

I'm going to die. Oh my God, I'm going to die. These were the only thoughts Stephen could form. He could feel blood dripping down on his face. 

Stephen slammed his foot down on the breaks, trying to get the car to stop spinning. That just made it worse. His car skidded on the rainy ground and flipped off of the road. Stephen had been driving on a mountain road, so it was a long and terrifying fall. Stephen's heart was beating out of his chest as he saw his life flash before his eyes. There were so many things he'd wanted to do, and now he wasn't sure if he'd ever even see his best friend again. Pure terror like nothing he'd ever felt was taking control of him. Agonizing pain went through his hands as he felt the bones in them get crushed and smashed like glass. 

"Help! Please, help me!" Stephen used his last bit of strength to try and cry out for help. His voice was too raspy to be heard. 

Stephen summoned every ounce of energy he had left and reached out to press his nose to his phone screen. He hit the "Emergency" button and let his head rest as his phone dialed 911. Help was coming, he just had to hang on. He was so tired and scared. Sleep seemed very tempting. Yes, he should sleep. That would be a good idea. So tired.... 

The last things Stephen felt was the car landing on his hood, the rain beginning to wash the blood on his face away, and then darkness claimed him as its own property. 

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Sorry, Stephen... IT HAD TO BE DONE OKAY DON'T HATE ME.