Dana ran, pushing herself, oblivious to the pouring rain. Once Alice and Shane had gotten the hint and left, shed decided to go for a run to clear her head, not even caring that it was raining outside.

Her wet tank top clung tightly to her body as she gritted her teeth and pushed on. Danas feet angrily slapped the pavement, landing in puddles that sent the freezing cold water splashing up her legs. She was drenched and cold, but she didnt have the strength to care anymore. Run. Just run. That was all she could do.

Lifting her head, her wet hair sticking to her face and neck, Dana noticed she was near The Planet. She was contemplating stopping to dry off and maybe get a warm cup of coffee when she felt her right foot slip on the slick sidewalk.

With a strangled cry, Dana lost control and skid momentarily down the pavement, pitching forward, throwing her arms out in front of her as she crashed to the sidewalk. Her knees and palms scraped the sidewalk painfully as her arms collapsed from beneath her, her head hitting the ground with a dull thunk.

Dana felt her vision blur as her head began to throb painfully, the world spinning slightly around her. Disoriented, she weakly tried to push herself up but failed. And so she lay there in the pounding rain on the wet pavement, miserable and hurting, wondering if things could possibly get any worse. She managed to raise her throbbing head to notice she was directly in front of The Planet. God, I hope no one I know just looked out and saw that, she thought groggily.

*****, are you okay? a voice shouted in concern as Dana saw a pair of sensible rubber rain boots cross her field of vision. The voice sounded so instantly familiar that Dana wondered if perhaps shed lost consciousness. Looking up weakly at the raincoat clad figure, her eyes met those of the last person shed expected to see.

*******************************************

Marina despondently sat slumped at her desk in her office. What a mess things had become. She bit her lip. Jenny was gone, and it was all her fault. Right before Francesca died, Marina had done something she was not proud of. Shed snapped at Jenny and lashed out at her in what had seemed like anger. Marina had told her to get the ***** out of her life and stay away. The hurt on Jennys face as her lip trembled and her eyes spilled over with tears had broken Marinas heart, tempting her to try to retract her comments and beg Jenny not to listen to her.

The pain Marina knew she had caused Jenny was something she was not proud of. Her pain stabbed at her brain and made her heart heavy. Jenny just didnt understand. She didnt know Marina had a valid reason for shunning her and pushing her away.

Marina had been protecting her. She was shielding Jenny from a danger that know one should ever have to know…