Christian POV:

I sit in my apartment contemplating on what my father just said, maybe I did push it too far with that psychologist. That was poor taste... Nothing I have ever done has been on poor taste, what the hell is wrong with me. Thanks to my recent outbursts I lost the company, I guess I should have seen it coming but I guess the company is in good hands now. I meant a CEO that would cross the edge like that, it was like I was reverting back to my old self... no this is another side of me, I've seen the dark and I've been over the edge but nothing compared to this, losing Michael was something I couldn't comprehend. It was like if I was in a dream from which I cannot wake up, reality didn't seem real, nothing seemed real.  

...

"Well you've seen better days", says a voice as the elevator door opened. 

"Candice", I say.

"Hello Christian", she says.

"I'm not really in the mood, go home", I say to her.

"But I come bearing gifts", she says as I notice someone behind him. 

"Josh", I say in shock. 

He looked a mess, Leo wasn't kidding, he looked so depressed and out of it. 

"I don't want to be here, take me home", he said as he looked at the apartment and started freaking out. 

Oh right, Josh was with him that night, Josh was with Michael... right here in this apartment. 

"I can't be here", says Josh out of breath as he raced towards the elevator.

"You're not the only one suffering Christian", whispered Candice as I look at Josh. 

His body was shaking and he was terrified as he stood in the elevator with his quivering lips. I then walked to the elevator as Josh got more scared.

"Ch..ristian", he said with tears in his eyes.

"Josh", I say to him.

"Sorry, I'm, I'm so... sorry, I couldn't save him", said Josh as he fell to his knees crying. 

Josh... 

I then hugged him as he cried in my arms.

"I'm so sorry", he yelled as he trembled.

"It's not your fault Josh", I say as he cried as Candice stood next to us with tears in her eyes. 

I'll never forget the tears Josh shed that night, it was etched into my brain, I'll never forget the horrified look on his face. That opened my eyes, I wasn't the only one suffering. I was thinking of myself all this time, trying to hold this pain on my own, just like Josh has... Josh then fell asleep on the couch as Candice handed me a glass of water.

"I hate to make Josh an example but you see now how hard it's been for us", she says as she sat down. 

"I wasn't there for any of you and I'm sorry", I say as I grip the glass.

"You can't overcome something like this on your own, everyone is extending their hands to you and it's about time you grab onto it", says Candice. 

"Thank you, Candice, truly", I say to her as she smiled. 

"Michael will never forgive me if I just left you all alone", says Candice.

"He'll never forgive me if I leave you alone either", I say as I get up.

"What are you going to do?", she asked.

"Get my shit together, I can't let the world crumble before me", I say.

"Well there you go, saying some cryptic ass shit", says Candice as she laughed.

"You know what I mean", I say as she waked up Josh.

"Let's go, Josh", she says as Josh wakes up.

"I need a favor", I say to them.

"What is it?", she asked.

"Can you gather everyone?", I say to her. 

"Sure", she says.

"Tomorrow afternoon", I say.

"Alright Christian, I'll do my best", she says.

"Thank you", she says as they entered the elevator. 

I then headed to bed as I stared at the ceiling and fell asleep.

.......................

I had hoped to wake up from this horrible dream. I had hoped to wake up and Michael would be right next to me...

.....

"Wake up", I say as I open my eyes.

My eyes then adjusted to the bright light as I see Michael sitting in bed.

"What are you doing?", he asked.

"Michael!", I say as a tear fell out my eye. 

"Why are you being such a pussy? If I was there I would have done kicked your ass into next week", he said to me as I sit up. 

"Are ghosts supposed to cuss?", I asked.

"This is a dream you idiot", he says.

"Why am I now having it? I've been wanting to see you for so long", I say to him.

 "You've finally let go of all uncertainty that you have, you've finally accepted my death Christian", he says. 

"Michael. I miss you so much", I say as a tear fell out my eye.

"You need to get yourself together Christian. If I was there right now, what do you think I would say to you?", he asked.

"Get your sorry ass up and go to work so you can buy me chocolate", I say as I laugh.

"Exactly, it's not the time to give up. I do not see any sadness in your future Christian", he says to me. 

"We had so many plans for the future, now we have no future", I say to him.

"You have a future Christian, I may not have but you're alive, what you do now is solely on you, pick yourself up and do it", he says.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you Michael", I say to him as he smiled.

"Well I'm very happy I got to save you, twice in fact", said Michael as he began fading away. 

"I love you Michael and thank you", I say as I held back the tears. 

"I love you to Christian", he said as he vanished. 

.......

The alarm clock then went off as I wake up. That dream, it was one I never had again, that was the last time I would ever see Michael. I grab a cup of coffee as I stand on the balcony and stare at the ceiling, a brand new day has begun. 

"This is the final goodbye", I say as I take a deep breath. 

....

To be Continued in Pain Arc ~ (3): Angel Down, the Final Goodbye.