I stayed up all night but its finally done! I hope you enjoy.

It was hours before the flat began to look livable again. Everyone had taken a separate section for their own and for this Annie was glad the boys were leaving her alone to her thoughts in the kitchen; only popping in for another slice of pizza, of which the box was laid out on the still overturned fridge. She smiled, the pizza boy seemed to be getting used to her barrage of questions every time he dropped off a pie. Mitchell had stayed upstairs while George had taken to the living room sorting out damaged cd's and dvd's. She had even caught him trying to repair a pillow with a roll of duct tape which had brought a smile to her face though it was nothing compared to sight of George and Mitchell both going berserk on a Beatles cd.

Around two or three in the morning George had finally retired. Mitchell was pacing around upstairs and Annie absently wondered what was still on his mind as she contemplated the refrigerator that was still lying on its side.

"That is the cleanest underside of an ice box I've ever seen," said Mitchell from the doorway. Annie couldn't help but smile even though he'd thrown her off by appearing out of nowhere like that; she was rather proud of it. "Here let me help you."

In a few moments the refrigerator was right side up and back in its original place thanks to Mitchell.

"She must have been pretty determined. You know to get the fridge turned over like that, I'm surprised you guys didn't realize it wasn't me sooner. I mean I've never gotten the fridge to move that much."

"Yeah, I suppose. But we thought you were pretty upset and when you've got an ice box trying to make you flat footed you don't focus on the details."

"I suppose not."

They were silent for a while; she knew she had more to say but was at a loss for words.

"You should probably get some rest," she managed at last. Mitchell shrugged.

"Annie, I," he started and fumbled. "Yeah, I should get some rest."

He turned without another word and Annie sat down at the table, absentmindedly playing with the handle of the only tea cup remaining.

There had been a lot more to her trip than she had told them in the hall. She had a lot of questions, and Catherine had been willing to answer as much as she knew. She had come away a little bit wiser, but still very confused. Annie had thought there were no easy answers when she was alive. Now when she looked back on her living years everything seemed so painfully clear; how she should have gone about everything, what to do, who to trust. Now that she was well, not alive, she felt truly lost, but strangely at peace sitting in this kitchen listening to the noises of the guys settling in upstairs.

An hour passed, George had fallen asleep, and however though she knew he was trying to stay quiet she could hear the floor boards give as Mitchell was restless in his room again. She was in his room without really realizing she had sent herself there; she really tried not go in to their rooms if she could help it. He turned around, and paused, surprised in his own controlled way to see her standing there.

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to – It's just I heard you walking around and my mind must have wandered. Haven't quite got that telepathy thing down pat yet you know…" She tried to shrug it off. "I'll just be going now-"

"Stay." It looked like the word surprised him as much as it did her. "I just – there's so much to-"

He straightened up with a new resolve. "Annie I'm sorry." His resolve faltered and shrunk to the floor beside his bed, placing his head and hands on his bended knees.

She knelt down to him and reached out to touch him lightly on the shoulder. It was one thing she could count on from Mitchell; he never shivered from her touch and it made her feel almost normal.

"Mitchell, why are you saying this? You've got nothing to be sorry about."

"Yes I do. I'm messing up your life – death – whatever this is. Maybe it is all we're doing, just playing house. Pretending. My interfering made you miss your door. For what? To play Holly Homemaker to Dracula and the Wolfman?" He lashed out slightly, pounding a fist to the floor.

She smiled a little. "Mitchell you haven't made me do anything. Everything that's happened in the last couple of weeks I've chosen to do and I should be thanking you for it."

"Thanking? Me?"

"Yes thanking you."

You still don't get it. I got to choose, really choose something for the first time in my, well, yeah my life. Every since I could be considered an adult my life had revolved around you-know-who. I didn't realize it, but I wasn't in control of my life. I hadn't really made a decision in years; my life was going the way he wanted it to down to the last second. For the first time I have the ability to make those decisions and that's what I did when that door appeared. I made my own decision. I knew that if I crossed that threshold I'd never have the chance to live my life in any way. For all I know it'd be done, over with, in that second. Knowing that if I walked through that door I'd leave this all behind frightened me more than anything and I couldn't do it.

It might not seem like much to you, but this is all I ever wanted. A home full of people I cared about and could watch over."

Mitchell was on his feet now, bang against the furniture in the dark.

"No, I should have left after I had recuperated and let you and George get on with your lives."

"Mitchell stop this!" She reached out, focusing all her concentration and grabbed at his sleeve; catching it in her fingers and keeping him at bay for a moment as the truth tumbled from her lips. "All I've ever wanted is just a simple life. A home of my own and people to watch over and protect. That's it, I just wanted people I loved to live for."

He dropped to his knees and had his arms around her one fluid motion. Her whole body tingled as he held her and she whispered, "As long as we're here, I have a chance at that."

"We all might have a chance at that." He whispered back as they settled to the floor again. He kept his arms around her and she settled in on his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I know it must sound rather boring to someone who's had a life like yours."

"Oh darlin'," Mitchell started and Annie found she couldn't help but smile. "You're forgettin' that I was walking around before your grandparents were a twinkle in someone's eye. A simple life is all I've ever wanted."

There was a real sincerity in his voice that put her at ease, but she couldn't help but question him. "Really? You? Mister livin' large, with all your exploits and adventures, your war stories, your-"

He stopped her at that, "You know how you survive a war?"

"No, but technically I don't think you do either." Again she couldn't help herself.

"Shut it you, I'm being serious." He scoffed, pausing for affect and she stayed quiet. "You survive a war by believing that there is someone out there who cares whether you make it back alive or not. Whether you know who that person is or not you have to believe that there is a reason you've gone through hell; that there is someone who will make it all disappear in an instant if you can just make it through another day. And when it comes down to the point where you're ready to give up, you keep going because that person is out there."

"And you had this person back then?" She could hardly believe it, but somewhere a memory was triggered of life and she could swear she almost felt… warm, relaxed and tired.

He leaned against her a little more, "I had an idea of her out there somewhere. She was always waiting for me to come home."

The feeling of calm and weight over her eyes was almost too much as she managed one last question, "Truly?"

"Yes darlin' truly," he said to the woman somehow asleep in his arms. "She was always there, with this great laugh and smile that would blind ya' and take away your worries. She was the reason I'd get up and keep going, and even if I knew better, she'd be the reason I'd keep coming back."

He knew he had been right all along, she could sleep and he wouldn't dare wake her now so he just leaned back on the edge of the bed and linked his hands around her and smiled as her cool presence filled him more completely than anything he had ever experienced. His lips tingled as he laid a kiss on her hair that felt like a frosty cloud.

He chuckled to himself as her cold presence slowly began to warm him.

"Though I never realized there'd be so many cups of tea."

Please review... please, please, please. If you do I promise I'll never make you another cup of tea again.