31-The End

Two days, a blood transfusion, a tetanus shot, antibiotics, and 29 stitches later, Darcy was released from the hospital. The police had prodded but mildly. Especially when Glen was in the room – and he was, constantly. Mark spent the first night with her while she slept, refusing to leave her side even though it was obvious she wouldn't be waking up. He sat up, holding on to her uninjured hand, just watching her.

Glen insisted on spelling him in the daytime, and although Mark wanted to stay by that point he was a perpetual zombie on his feet. He didn't go far though – Glen had secured a private room for Darcy and Mark took up the couch in the corner. It was uncomfortable but he was so tired by that time he didn't really care. It was after lunch that first full day that she started coming out of it. Glen had taken Ava to get something to eat, and Mark was alone when he felt Darcy's fingers tighten against his and watched her eyes flutter open.

His chair was right next to her bed. He leaned forward and brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. "Hey."

"Hey." Her voice was hoarse. She swallowed a few times and blinked, trying to clear her vision. "Where am I?"

"Hospital. They've got you on some kind of IV." Darcy tried to push herself up but Mark laid his hand against her chest. "Don't. You need your rest."

"I was pretty much shackled to a bed for three days."

"I know, darlin'." Mark brushed her hair back from her forehead. "But this time it's so you won't get sick. Plus you gotta watch your stitches. Don't want to pull them out."

Darcy raised her left arm and looked at the bandages there. "He cut me?"

"You don't remember that part?"

"Not really." She frowned and relaxed against her pillow. "I remember he wanted me to dose you."

"Yeah." Mark continued lightly stroking the side of her face, avoiding the butterfly bandage that covered the cut on her cheek. Every time he looked at it he wished he could get his hands on the man who had done it but he realized that Pete was beyond his reach now.

Odd thing was, Glen wouldn't say what had happened to him. Mark had wanted reassurance that the man was gone, and Glen had offered that. He had even gone so far as to claim that Pete was dead. But when Mark had asked if it had been the tranquilizer that Darcy had shot him with, Glen had merely shrugged, clapped his shoulder, and told him not to worry about it. It was taken care of.

Mark wasn't worried about it. Not for himself. But he did worry about Darcy, about her state of mind. Their situations were different but he knew about how messed up the feeling of responsibility in a death was. And he hated that she'd have to go through it.

She wasn't up for long the first time. The second time she was more with it although she still said she had some spotty memory issues. That time Glen had been in the room, as well as Mark. They had gone over the story to tell the police, although Glen said he was sure they had enough information from him. Meaning he had told them to back off. It was unspoken but understood by the people in the hospital room anyway.

Officially their story was that Pete had taken Darcy but had left her after the first night. She hadn't seen him since, and neither had anyone else. As far as they knew he could be halfway to anywhere. Just another student who had cracked under pressure. It was sad for the kids that he had cared for but for the people who understood what he was, it was a relief. Mark had to wonder how many of those kids had been in danger while the unstable man was supposed to be treating them.

That was in the past thankfully. Darcy managed to sit up the second time, and got to drink for the first time. That night she insisted on being left alone – according to her, all of them looked like hell and she didn't want them stealing her thunder. Mark left only because Glen practically dragged him out. He reassured him, once again, that Darcy would be fine. Pete was gone.

On checkout day Mark went to pick her up. He was going to take her to Glen's, to the apartment over the garage. Mark didn't plan on staying there long though. He went into Darcy's room carrying her overnight bag full of clothes. And was surprised to see her up and about, IV pole gone, large bandages exchanged for smaller versions.

He had to help her get dressed, especially getting her shirt over her arm. It was sore and would be for a while, until the cut had healed enough to stop pulling. And honestly helping her get dressed gave Mark an opportunity to look at her from top to bottom, to be sure the cut on her arm and the smaller version on her cheek were the only injuries she had suffered.

"Stop inspecting me." Darcy finally said, self consciously trying to button her shirt.

"I can't help it." Mark caught her hands and pulled her gently up against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled when she did the same, mindful of her injured arm.

"I'm fine." She said, smiling a little. Mark nodded.

"I'm sure you are. But I can't help but wonder what went on." He hated to bring it up but it ate at him. Especially since Pete had hinted at raping Darcy.

She made a face. "Nothing. Mostly he just threatened me. Even that was weak at the end."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"What's the point of dwelling on it? He's gone."

"I know. But for my own peace of mind…" He let it hang there. Darcy sighed.

"Other than flashing his scalpel at me, he groped me a couple of times. Mostly to see what I would do." She felt Mark suck in a deep breath and stopped him before he could speak. "I don't think he had the ability to do more than that. If you catch my drift."

"I do." He didn't want to find it funny, but in an odd way he did.

"Can we please never bring this up again? Of all the shit in my life I'd like to forget, the time I spent in that asshole's company is at the top of the list."

"If that's what you want." Mark let her go and finished buttoning her shirt. In half an hour she was ready to go. The ride back to Glen's was made in silence. Mark held her hand the entire trip, smiling every time she tightened her grip on his. Glen and Ava were out, presumably shopping – wedding or baby, Mark had no idea. It meant they had some quiet time together before he had to share her. The first thing she wanted was a long, hot shower. The hospital had cleared her to shower if she could keep her bandages dry for a couple of day. Mark was only too happy to help her out. It gave him a convenient excuse to get his hands on her anyway.

He was more nervous now after three months than he'd been after waiting eight years. Maybe because he had come so close to losing her. Their lovemaking was slow and sweet and, yes he had to admit, careful. He was afraid of hurting her. But Darcy did not want him to stop; she held onto him and rocked him into her body until they were both satisfied and dozing in the afternoon sun that came in through the window over the bed.

It was much later, after supper, after everyone else had gone to bed that Darcy had wandered off. Mark worried for about thirty seconds then realized – there was really only one place she would have gone. He set off through the gate Glen had installed, following the faint path in the moonlight until he reached the beach. Darcy was sitting in the grass, a sweater wrapped around her, looking out at the water that was far too cold for swimming now.

"I realize that I should have said I was going for a walk." Darcy said without looking around. Mark smiled and sat down next to her, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"I managed to figure it out on my own. What's on your mind? You've been quiet."

"I know." She sighed and rested her chin on her raised knee. The butterfly bandaged on her cheek glowed white against her skin. And he didn't get angry about it. He was sad. She'd be wearing a couple of scars because of him. If he had never come into her life…if he had just stayed away…

Mark shook his head. He couldn't keep beating himself up over it. Darcy was fine. He was fine. They would be fine together. More that fine, in fact. If Mark had his way Darcy would be living with him permanently. "You know?"

"Yeah. I'm going to quit."

Mark was confused. "Quit?"

"School. I'm going to quit school."

"Darcy…"

"I know. It's stupid of me, I'm almost done, another six months and I'd be finished. But I have to be honest, Mark. If this was what I really wanted it would not have taken me this long to get this far."

"I think you've lost me."

Darcy sighed. "Being a nurse – it's like a career goal somebody else had that I kind of took over. I'm good at it. You know why?" Mark shook his head, knowing that an answer was not necessary. "Because I work hard to be good at it. It doesn't come naturally to me like it does for people like Sue or Carol. I've had a week to think about it, pretty much. And being a nurse is not what I want."

"What do you want?" Mark asked softly.

"I don't know. And it scares the hell out of me." Darcy absently brushed at her cheeks and it took Mark a moment to realize that she was crying. "I killed him, didn't I?"

Mark hugged her closer to his side. "I don't know, darlin'. Glen won't say." And Darcy knew that. She had tried to ask Glen about it but he was keeping his mouth shut.

"I'm not crying because of that. That was a necessary thing. I wasn't going to let him hurt you again." Darcy leaned against him. "But I don't know where I go from here."

Mark cleared his throat. He knew an opening when he was presented with one. "For starters – you can move in with me."

She laughed but it sounded watery. "Right. And you can be my sugar daddy, spending all your reacquired wealth on me."

Mark smiled at that. "If you would let me I would. But I was thinking more along the lines of 'what's mine is yours'. I want to settle down. I want to pick up the threads and get started living. I spent eight years on hold. Even if the conviction is overturned, that's time I can't get back." He stroked his hand through her hair. "And it means that I can't afford to waste any more time. I did enough of that already."

"What does that have to do with me?" Darcy asked, looking up at him. There was enough moonlight so that he could see her eyes and the tracks of wetness on her cheeks.

"Everything." Mark reached out and wiped her tears away with his fingertips. "I'm gonna need help. And probably an occasional kick in the ass."

"But…"

"And you'll figure out in your own good time what you want to do. If not a nurse then something else. I'll back you up."

"I was thinking of starting a daycare."

Mark smiled at that. "See. Planning already."

"No. It's a pipe dream. I don't know anything about running a business. But I like kids. And the kids liked me. I could see doing something like that, at least for a while. Or maybe…I don't know…becoming a teacher. It would mean more school but..." She faded away.

"Could Gates Falls use a daycare?"

"Gates Falls could use quite a few things. And yes. Right now most people have to take their kids into town."

"Then we can make it happen. We'll get our own place, we'll put down our own roots." Mark braced himself although he still smiled. "In case you were wondering, this is my very convoluted way of asking you to marry me."

Darcy laughed softly at that. "I suppose I'd better say yes then. It would cut down on the confusion." She put her fingers against his lips when he tried to duck down and kiss her. "We still have a lot to figure out."

"I know." Mark kissed her fingers before taking her hand and pulling her close. As he pressed his mouth to hers he couldn't help but wonder just how one man's luck could shift so drastically. He'd been through hell for eight long years. Now he had heaven in his arms and a future at his fingertips, and it was all thanks to a breakdown on a lonely empty road in the middle of the night.

A/N – A ginormous thanks to Pain Sindicate. Without your Tumblr I doubt I'd be able to look my Taker muse in the eyeballs.

This was completely an attempt at something semi-mushy, which I normally try to avoid. I just don't think I'm all that good at the romantical stuff. Now that I got it out of my system, I'll resume typing up and posting Dissonance. Thanks for reading!