Vlad Masters was sprawled out across an expensive-looking loveseat, looking up at the ceiling with hollow eyes. For the first time this year, he wasn't plotting about destroying Danny, or killing Jack, or even stealing Maddie. No, not on this hopeless night. Tonight, he was letting himself drown in his sorrow.

For tonight was the night before Valentine's Day.

In front of him, on a small, oak table, a chessboard sat. There was no one across from him, because he was his own opponent. Usually, chess cheered him up, but not on this lonely night. It only made matters worse.

"Check," he warned himself, moving one of the Black Knights in position to take the White King.

There was a crack of thunder that sounded throughout the sky, sending chills down his cat's spine. She wandered over to her master, sitting across from him and knocking down the king of the opposite side of himself. Letting him win, again. She let out a meow, licking his hand as she did so. She was worried for him, that much was obvious…

The billionaire stroked her head, feigning a small smile. It was something that he did all the time, but it seemed harder to do this time.

"M-M...Maddie," he stammered, struggling with the feline's name. At times, he wished that he hadn't named her after his beloved never-to-be. Scooping her into his lap, he traced his fingers lightly across her back, whispering sweet nothings in an effort to calm her down.

The harsh weather carried on outside, the storm clouds hurling dark droplets of rain at the mansion. Thunder cast the illusion that the whole castle would fall, and the lightning didn't help.

Maddie smiled and nuzzled against him, licking his hand once. Then, there was a knock at the door that made her jump, then, naturally, hisses at the wooden thing attached to the wall.

She hopped off of Vlad's lap and ran to the window, looking out of it. When she saw who was there, Maddie meowed loudly...angrily, throwing a few hisses out.

Vlad was confused at his cat's response. It couldn't be the mail man, the weather was too harsh. Perhaps it was his manager...?

Sighing, he stood from the loveseat and walked to the door, pulling it open - but only enough to see who was there.

There, standing on the porch, drenched and terrified, was Maddie. His beloved Maddie, staring at him with those innocent...indigo eyes that pleaded for him to let her in. She was hugging herself and each time thunder cracked, she jumped as though someone had hit her. Maddie seemed to be shivering.

Maddie, the cat, didn't care how pitiful she looked, the cat kept hissing angrily. Vlad was hers, not that...that...HUMAN!

Vlad was stunned - why was Maddie all the way over in Wisconsin? In the rain? Alone?

He took a moment to regain his lost bearings, before he opened the door a little wider, so they were face to face. The billionaire wasn't sure if he could trust his own voice, but he had to try.

"M....Maddie?" he asked softly, his voice cracking despite his lowered tone.

The woman of his dreams, standing before him, soaked with rain on his doorstep...on the night of Valentine's Eve. It had to be a trick of some kind....perhaps it wasn't even Maddie - maybe he was hallucinating.

"Vlad!" Maddie threw her arms around Vlad, hugging him tightly.

She was crying, shaking, and hugging...what the hell was going on?

Vlad took a sharp intake of breath, even more startled now that there was physical contact involved.

Gulping, so as to not choke on his own nervousness and bewilderment, he softly asked, "Whatever are you doing here...?"

It took everything he had not to stroke her hair, or caress her lovingly in his arms, or start to tango, or close the distance between their lips, or - or any of that jazz.

But he managed.

Maddie pulled back to look at him, "Your the only one I remember," she choked out through her sobs. "Every time I try to think of something, I draw a blank and then get a headache...I just can't..." she stopped there, unable to continue because of a new round of tears.

Vlad blinked, trying to process what he had just heard.

I'm the only one she can remember? Why can't she remember anyone else?

"Would you, uh....like to sit down?" he asked, gesturing to the loveseat, whilst finally shushing the snarling cat. "I could get you some Hot Chocolate and we could discuss this further....."

He sounded like such a businessman, but he didn't feel anywhere close to that right now. His thoughts were a tangled mess of confusion; knots that wouldn't be untied until he knew what in God's name was going on. Maddie didn't remember anything except him? What made her forget? ....And why was it him, of all, people, that she could remember?

"No, I want to stay with you, don't leave me alone...please..." she hung onto him, her arms wrapped around his stomach, her face pressed against his chest as tears freely fell.

Maddie snarled angrily the gesture, glaring chess pieces at the two. She was not a happy kitty.

Vlad stiffened, staring at the unclosed door with wide eyes.

She wanted to stay with him? Was he getting his holidays confused; mixing up Valentine's with Opposite Day?

Suddenly, as if on cue, his alarm (set to go off at ten o' clock to remind him not to stay up too late) went off. He couldn't stand the buzzer setting, so he had it on radio. Chet Baker's song "Time after Time" wafted into the room.

'Time....after time.....I tell myself that I'm...so lucky to be loving you.....' It sang.

'So lucky to be.....the one you run to see......'

He fought the urge to dance to the slow song, thoughtful of his special guest. "I won't." His voice was soft, gentle. "Never again..."

Usually, his cat was the first thing on his mind, but not tonight. Tonight, the Eve of Valentine's, when his treasured gal happened to stumble into his home. She would be the top priority now.

Scratch that. She always was.

Maddie sighed lightly, "Thank you..." she whispered as a smile tugged on her lips.

She looked up into his eyes, "I forgot how gorgeous your eyes were..." she mumbled.

For the first time in twenty years, Vlad felt complete. His joy was so intense that he was on the verge of crying. Intertwining his hand in hers, he murmured, "And I'm reminded of how beautiful yours are."

'I only know....what I know.....The passing years will show....you've kept my love so young, so new...!'